50th Anniversary Messaging

Message Guide

 

To guide your 50th Anniversary messaging, think about Mason in terms of the past, present, and future—where we came from, where we are now, and where we’re going. The emphasis should be future-focused. The following can be used directly or serve as a jumping-off point for your unit's custom messaging.

 


 

Target Audiences


 

Looking Back

Message Prompts

  • Looking Back at the Vision that Propelled Us to Today

Supporting Statements

  • From a small University of Virginia branch campus to a fully independent R1 research powerhouse serving 39,000 students—in just 50 years, we’ve become the largest public university in Virginia, an economic driver, and a model of diversity and inclusivity.
  • An institutional commitment to research across disciplines propelled us to our status as a top research university and America’s fastest growing public university research portfolio.
  • Our diverse student population reflects our values of inclusivity and accessibility, as well as an intentional environment that welcomes manifold perspectives and voices.
  • United in our mission of creating access to excellence, our faculty, staff, community partners, and alumni have propelled Mason to its current stature.
  • One central thread unites Mason’s mission from past, present, and into the future: our commitment to students.
  • Mason’s accelerated growth fueled the surrounding region and was a factor in making Northern Virginia one of the most desirable places to live, work, and start new enterprises.

Voice and Tone

We have a lot to celebrate. Take pride in our past achievements, but avoid being boastful by using a matter-of-fact tone to state accomplishments.


 

Mason at 50

Messaging Prompts

  • Mason at 50
  • We’ve Always Been Green and Gold—and Now We’re Golden

Supporting Statements

  • We are Virginia’s most diverse university, with a student population that reflects our commitment to diversity in word and in action. 
  • We are the fastest growing research university among public schools in the nation.
  • Our commitment to accessibility means we support everyone from traditional on-campus undergraduates to mid-career professionals looking to broaden their skill set.
  • We are a talent pipeline central to supplying Northern Virginia with graduates who are skilled and workforce ready. 
  • Mason is ideally structured and suited for the new demands of the world to come. Our youth and nimbleness are our strengths.

Voice and Tone

At 50, we’re just hitting our stride. Keep your sentences action-oriented, snappy, and to the point, with a focus on the work we’re doing now.


 

A New Era

Messaging Prompts

  • A New Era for George Mason University
  • It’s Mason’s Time

Supporting Statements

  • Keeping pace with the workforce’s changing needs, Mason is committed to meeting students where they are by creating accessible pathways to success. 
  • Mason stands ready to become home to a public medical school that meets the 21st century needs of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
  • Healthy Planet: Mason is committed to harnessing research across disciplines to ensure a healthy planet for the future.
  • Healthy Economy: Mason’s tech talent pipeline directly benefits local employers, creates pathways to in-demand degrees, and fosters research that powers businesses here in Virginia and beyond.
  • Healthy Society: As Virginia’s most diverse university, Mason is already a step ahead in meeting the needs of a truly multicultural society. Our aim is to become a national model for inclusivity, committed to rooting out institutional racism and cultivating a haven for freedom of expression and diverging perspectives.
  • Healthy People: With our robust response to the pandemic, Mason has shown we’re capable of finding innovative ways to ensure the health and well-being of our community and beyond.

Voice and Tone

We’re launching into the future with a distinct sense of purpose. Focus on big ideas that will make an impact in wide-reaching ways.

50th Message Example

 

Just how extraordinary is Mason’s rise? In only 50 years, we’ve grown from a small commuter campus to Virginia’s largest, most diverse, and most innovative public university. Our alumni power the Northern Virginia economy. Our faculty do onsite research that tackles the interlocking grand challenges of assuring a healthy planet, healthy people, healthy economies, and healthy societies. Our many institutes and research initiatives help the nation’s cybersecurity. And with our athletics and cultural offerings, we are an indispensable contributor to making Northern Virginia a vibrant place to live and work.

We’re a university known for setting big goals, and then putting in the work to make those dreams a reality. But now, we're taking a much-deserved moment to celebrate our success. While we take this opportunity to reflect on the past, celebrate our current stature, and envision the next half century and beyond, we’re also taking the time to savor our accomplishments.